Korean culture has been taking over the world. What started with K-pop and famous artists like Super Junior, Blackpink, and later BTS, has now led to a full-blown K-wave. Korean skincare is seen as some of the best skincare available, Korean movies like Parasite are becoming more popular every year, and Korean dramas like Squid Game are taking over Netflix.
That Korean culture is becoming more popular globally is also evident from our language more and more people know what Kimchi is, or what you will eat and drink when you go out for Chimaek. This rapid increase in popularity is evidenced by the Oxford English Dictionary, which added 26 new Korean words in October. Read on to learn about the most famous Korean food that made it in the Oxford Dictionary.
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History Of Korean Words In Oxford Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary is seen as the main historical dictionary of the English language. The dictionary is updated often to reflect popular culture, including words that are used often. That 26 Korean words were added this year shows how mainstream Korean culture has become in the English language.
The first entry related to Korea was actually the word Korean, added in 1933. Many other words relating to Korean traditional culture were added after that, such as taekwondo, won, yangban, and Hangul. Modern Korean culture made its entry into the Oxford English Dictionary in 1999 with the word K-pop, after the global success of K-pop in the late 1990s – yes, that early!
The 2021 addition of 26 words mainly comprises words related to food and popular culture. Some of the older words have also been revised.
Famous Korean Food In Oxford Dictionary
Currently, there are 9 famous Korean food in the Oxford English dictionary. Kimchi was already included in an earlier version but has been revised in the 2021 edition. 8 new foods have been added. Which other famous Korean dishes do you think should be added?
1. Banchan
Banchan (반찬) are typical of any Korean meal. They are small side dishes, served with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Typical banchan are (multiple kinds of) kimchi, marinated vegetables, little Korean pancakes, marinated fish, or yellow radishes. It is typical to get free banchan with your meal in any restaurant in Korea. Very traditional restaurants often include more than 10 banchan to eat together with the meal. Koreans enjoy eating these ‘banchan’ every day together with ‘bap’, which is cooked rice.
2. Bulgogi
Bulgogi (불고기) is a dish of thinly sliced, marinated beef or pork which is grilled. The meat is marinated using a sweet-salty sauce that often contains Korean pear and soy sauce. The meat is then put on a grill and can be enjoyed together with white rice, or wrapped in perilla leaves and lettuce. Bulgogi can also be eaten in a hotpot, where it is served with a sweet broth and many vegetables.
3. Chimaek
Chimaek (치맥) is technically not a food, but a combination of food and a drink. Chimaek is derived from the words Chicken (치킨) and Maekju (맥주) which means beer, and it refers to the combination of fried chicken and beer. Chimaek is probably one of the most popular foods to have in the evening in Korea and there are countless Chimaek restaurants. You can also get Chimaek delivered to your house, or even to the Han River for a picnic.
4. Dongchimi
Dongchimi (동치미) is a kind of watery kimchi that is eaten together with a cold liquid. It is made of Korean radish, napa cabbage, scallions, pickled green chili, ginger, Korean pear, and watery brine. Dongchimi is also fermented, but relatively short, for only 2~3 days. It is often paired with Tteok (rice cakes) or steamed sweet potatoes
5. Galbi
Galbi (갈비) is made from beef short ribs that have been marinated in soy sauce, garlic, and sugar. Galbi is often grilled and enjoyed with the bone still in. Galbi can be eaten at home but is most often enjoyed in barbeque restaurants because ribs are considered the best grilled on charcoal.
6. Japchae
Japchae (잡채) is a dish made of stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables, seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil. The glass noodles are usually made from sweet potato starch, making them very chewy and sticky. Japchae is often eaten during special days and major holidays, such as Chuseok (the Korean harvest festival), Seollal (lunar new year) and birthday. Japchae is delicious even when it is cold, so you can enjoy it like a salad. Without the meat, it is being regarded as the perfect ‘vegan’ Korean food. This dish is considered to be some of the most famous Korean noodles side dishes.
7. Kimbap
Kimbap (김밥) literally means seaweed-rice and is one of the most simple yet delicious lunches you can have in Korea. Kimbap is a large roll of rice filled with carrots, spinach, cooked egg, ham, and more, wrapped in seaweed. The kimbap roll is cut in thin, bite-sized slices and can easily be eaten on the go as well. It is a popular hiking food, but also often enjoyed together with Tteokbokki (spicy stir-fried rice cakes) and Soondae(Korean Salami).
The nickname for the food is ‘Gim-Tteok-Soon Trio’, which Koreans love the most. It comes from the abbreviation of kimbap, tteokbokki, and soondae.
8. Kimchi
Kimchi (김치) was already added to the Oxford English Dictionary before and is probably the most famous Korean food. It is a staple in Korean cuisine and eaten with every single meal. It is typically made of spicy, fermented cabbage, but many other vegetables can be used as well, such as radish. Kimchi is made using Korean chili powder (gochugaru), garlic, ginger, and salted seafood. It is then fermented over a long period of time.
9. Samgyeopsal
If you have ever gone to a Korean barbecue restaurant, you have probably tried samgyeopsal (삼겹살). Samgyeopsal is thinly sliced pork belly, grilled on the barbecue until it is crispy and ready to eat. Samgyeopsal is often served raw and grilled at the table itself. It is usually eaten together with white rice and wrapped in lettuce or perilla leaves.
Other Korean Words In Oxford English Dictionary
There are a lot of other Korean words in the dictionary as well. Here is a short overview of most of them:
- Aegyo: Aegyo (애교) refers to cute, charming behavior. It is often considered to be a personality characteristic as well.
- Daebak: Daebak (대박) is often said by Koreans when they find something ‘amazing’ or ‘fantastic’.
- Fighting: Spelled as 화이팅 or 파이팅 in Korean, this expression is often used to encourage someone and can be translated as “Go on” or “Go for it”.
- Gisaeng: Gisaeng (기생) were women working at the royal court as entertainers, singers, and dancers.
- Hallyu: 한류 or Hallyu refers to the Korean wave, which is a term used to describe the rapid rise in global popularity of Korean culture.
- Hanbok: Hanbok (한복) are traditional Korean clothes.
- Hangul: The Korean writing system Hangul (한글) was scientifically designed by King Sejong the Great in 1433.
- Juche: The political ideology associated with North Korea (the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea).
- K- : Forms nouns relating to South Korean culture, such as K-pop and K-beauty.
- K-Drama: Korean drama shows.
- K-Pop: Korean pop music.
- Konglish: Konglish is a mixture of Korean and English and refers to English words that have been Koreanized and are used daily by Korean speakers.
- Korean Wave: See Hallyu
- Manhwa: Korean genre of cartoons and comic books.
- Mukbang: Mukbangs (먹방) is a video featuring a person eating large quantities of food and talking to the audience.
- Noona: 누나 is used by a male speaker to refer to his older sister or an older female friend.
- Oppa: 오빠 is used by female speakers to refer to their older brother or older male friends. It is also commonly used to refer to boyfriends.
- PC Bang: Cafes where you can game using the computers available. These days they also serve food on the desk.
- Sijo: Forms nouns of Traditional Korean classical vocal music including Korean Verse. Forms verb of Reciting a Korean Poem or Composing a poem.
- Skinship: A combination of the English skin and kinship, refers to close physical contact between lovers, friends, or parents and their children.
- Taekwondo: 태권도, Korean martial arts.
- Tang Soo Do: 당수도, Korean martial arts.
- Trot: A Korean genre of upbeat music. An example of this is BTS Jin’s birthday celebration song ‘Super Tuna’, which has recently become a global trend.
- Unni: 언니 is used by a female speaker to address an older sister or older female friend.
- Won: Won (원) is the North and South Korean currency.
- Yangban: The historical ruling(upper) class in Korea.
The rise and influence of Korean culture contributed to the boost and acceptance of Korean vocabulary. We, Gastro Tour Seoul, are excited to see where this is going and which other famous Korean food words will be added next to the Oxford Dictionary.